Knitting machine



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 6. 1951 INVENTOR fife/Z 1713 C. MackATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1932. 5 c, MACK V 1,879,758

' KNITTING MACHINE Fil ed June 6. 1931 7 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 'ySierlzng C. Mack. BY m ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE,

STERLING G. MACK, OF BANGOR, PENNSYLVANIA ASSIGNOR TO JULIUS KAYSER &

00., on NEW YORK, N. Y.

KNITTING MACHINE Application filed June 6, 1931.

the movement of the carrier-rods and, for

preventing excessive vibration therein.

A furtherobject of my invention is to provide damping means at the endsof the ma chine for engaging the ends of the carrierrods just before thelatter are brought to rest.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a hinged orpivoted member for engaging the carrier-rods at both ends of the machinefor preventing excessive vibration due to the sudden stoppage of therods.

- With these and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel construction and arrangement hereinafter described illus trated inthe accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes may be made in thestructural details and in the arrangement of parts to control thevarious carrier-rods and to suit the vary ing forms of heels and otherreinforcements or ornamentations being knitted into the stocking.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatelike parts in all views, Fig. 1 is a front view showing a carrier-rodwith certain parts of the machine in combination with a damping deviceaccording to the present invention at each end of the rod; Fig. 2 is aplan view showing a group of seven carrier-rods with control meanstherefor; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the carrier-rods showing mydevice-in side view-applied thereto; Fig. 4 is a similar view butshowing one of the rods in engagement with the device; Fig. 5 .is asectional view of the carrier-rods and of the device at the opposite endof the machine; Fig. 6 is a Serial No. 542,528.

perspective view of the swinging part of the device shown at Fig. 5;Figs. 7 8 and 9 are perspective views showing the different forms of theends of the carrier-rods for cooperation with this device and Fig. 10 isan end view-partly in cross sectionshowing the mechanism for actuating.the feed screw for controlling the movement of the carrier-rods.

Referring to the drawings, the carrierrods 11 extend the full length ofthe machine in the usual well known manner and are guided in grooves ina bed plate or guide frame 12. These rods 11or certain of them-areequipped as desired with threadcarriers 13 with the usual well knownoperating mechanism as commonly employed in such machines and withabutment or stop devices 14 of the well known form for co- Operationwith the usual abutment members 15 which are screw-threaded internallyfor engagement upon the usual right and left hand feed screw 16. Forvarying the travel of certain of the carrier-rods 11, the screw 16 isrotated so as to move the members 15 towards or away from each other inthe well known manner, and-in accordance with the arrangement shown atFig. 10the feed screw 16 has secured thereon a ratchet wheel 17 engagedby a pawl 18 pivoted to an arm 19 and actuated by a rod 20 which latteris pivotally connected to the arm 19 and to a lever 21 fulcrumed on abracket 22' on the frame 22 of the machine; the said lever 21 beingoperated by means of a cam 23 which engages aroller 24 on said leverwhile a spring 25 serves to retain the roller 24 in engagement with theface of the cam 23. The abutment membars 15 are also shown at Fig. 10and are adapted to cooperate with abutment stops such as 14 on thevarious carrier-rods or on certain of such rods in the usual well knownmanner.

My damping or controlling devices 26, 27 are located at the left andright hand ends of the machine, respectively, and are similar exceptthat the swinging members 28, 29 thereof are shaped at their undersideto suit requirements and to engage the proper rods 11, and theseswinging members 28, 29 are interchangeable and are readily removable sothat the machine ma be quickly and conveniently adapted for difi e rentclasses ofwork-for the knitting of stockings or other fabrics havingdifferent forms of heel reinforcements or ornamentations or othermodifications requiring varying movements of the individualcarrier-rods.

The device 27 is shown at Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, is located atthe right hand end of the machine and consists of a carriage or hollowbody part 30 open at its lower side and recessed internally at 31 and 32to engage the front and rear edges, respectively, of the bed plate orguide 12 for the rods 11, and secured by means of screws 33. 34 to thelower parts of the body 30 are guide plates 35, 36 which engage theunderface of the said bed plate 12 so that the device 27 may slidelongitudinally upon said member 12. Mounted upon a pivot pin 37 in theupper part of the body 30 is the swinging member 29 whose free endextends beyond the body 30 and has on its lower face an eye 38 forengagement by a spring 39 whose opposite end is attached to a pin 40projecting from a bracket 41 secured on the front face of the body 30 sothat the spring 39 tends to hold the member 29 in its lower position asshown at Fig. 3 while the member 29 is free to ride into the positionshown at Fig. 4 when one of the rods 11 engages a depending nose or campiece 42 on the underside of the member 29.

The carrier-rods 11 are shaped at their ends with square extremities43Fig. 7or with bevels or inclines 44-Fig. 8or with bevels 44 incombination with upper recesses 45 Fig. 9to suit the particular purposefor which the various rods are employed. The underpart of the swingingmember 29 is formed (Figs. 3 and 4) with a square depending part 46adapted to serve as a stop or abutment for the square end 43 of one ofthe carrier-rods 11 and the arrangement is such that the cam piece.42 isengaged by the bevelled end or incline 44 of one of the othercarrierrods and when the member 29 is raised by the engagement of thecarrier-rod with the cam piece 42, the abutment member 46 is out of thepath of the carrier-rod corresponding thereto so that this abutment iseffective only when the member 29 is in its lower position.

The device 26 is similar to the device 27 but the swinging member 28shown at Fig. 5 has a nose or cam piece 47 adapted to be engaged by oneor other of two of the carrierrods 11 and has an abutment piece 48 toserve as .a stop for one of the carrier-rods when neither of the twoaforementioned rods is in engagement with the cam piece 47.

When it is desired, however, to utilize an abutment member such as 46 or48 while a nose or cam piece such as 42 or 47 is above one or more ofthe carrier-rods, the latter are formed as shown'at Fig. 9 with a recess45 into which the cam piece 42, 47 may fall to permit the abutment 46 or48 to move into the path of the carrier-rods corresponding thereto.

In order that the devices 26, 27 may function at the proper time, it isnecessary that they be dis laced longitudinally of the guide member 12and for this purpose each of the devices 26, 27 is connected with one ofthe abutment members 15, by means of a rod 49 which is screwed into asocket in the member 15 and is secured by means of a lock-nut 50 whilethe opposite end of said rod passes through a bore in the rear part ofthe device 26 or 27 and is clamped to such device by means of lock-nuts51, 52 so that the motion of the feed screw 16 displaces the devices 26and 27 together with the abutment members 15, and the lock-nuts 51, 552permit easy and convenient adjustment of the said devices relatively tothe abutment members to which or replaced to suit requirements and toprovide for the proper movement and stoppage of the carrier-rodscooperating therewith. The damping action of the spring loaded membersupon the bevelled or inclined ends of the rods eliminates, or greatlyreduces, objectionable shock and vibration, and permits greatlyincreased speeds of operation even when the reinforcing threads of theheel portions of a stocking are being laid in and the rods carryingthese threads have only a very short travel.

Although the drawings and above description disclose the best mode inwhich I have contemplated embodying my invention, I desire to be in noway limited to the details of this disclosure for in the furtherpractical application of my invention, many changes in the form andconstruction may be made as circumstances require or experience suggestswithout departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope ofthe ap-- pended claims.

What I claim is V 1. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality ofthread-carriers, a plurality of carrier-rods, in combination with adamping deof the rods to prevent excessive vibration thereof, andcarrier-rod abutments on the device.

3. In a fiat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods, stop means for the rods, and a devicecomprising a yielding member and means on said member for engagingcertain of the rods to serve as abutments and for engaging other rods todamp vibration therein on sudden stoppage thereof.

4. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers,carrier-rods therefor, abutment stops on said rods, and a movablecarriage comprising a swinging member, a carrier-rod abutment on thesaid member, surfaces on said member for engaging theends of certain ofthe rods, and means to hold the said surfaces upon the rods to damp thevibration therein.

5. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods therefor, stop means on certain of the rods,and a spring loaded swinging member for engaging the ends of certainrods to eliminate vibration and for engaging the ends of certain rods toserve as abutments therefor.

6. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods therefor, bevelled ends on certain of therods, square ends on certain of the rods, and a movable member at theend of the machine comprising a cam piece for engaging the said bevelledend, and an abutment member for engaging the square end, for the purposedescribed.

7. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods therefor, bevelled ends on certain of therods, square ends on certain of the rods, bevelled and recessed ends oncertain of the rods, and a yielding member at the end of the machinecomprising a cam piece for engaging the said bevelled ends, and anabutment piece to engage said square ends and to enter said recess.

8. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods, guide means for the rods, stop means for therods, and a device mounted on said guides at each end of the machine andcomprising a yielding pivoted member and means on said member forengaging certain of the rods to damp vibration therein and for engagingcertain other rods to serve as abutments therefor.

9. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers,carrier-rods therefor, abutment stops on said rods and a movablecarriage at each end of the machine comprising a swinging member, a camon said member for engaging the ends of certain of the rods and a springdevice to hold the said cam upon the rods to damp the vibration thereinand a rod abutment member on said member.

10. In a flat knitting machine having a pinrality of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods therefor, stop means on certain of the rods,and at each end of the machine a spring loaded swinging member forengaging the ends of certain rods to eliminate vibration and forengaging the ends of certain other rods to serve as abutments therefor.

11. In a flat knitting machine having a plurality of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods therefor, bevelled ends on certain of therods, square ends on certain of the rods, bevelled and recessed ends oncertain of the rods and at each end of the machine a movable membercomprising a cam piece for engaging the bevelled ends and the saidrecess and an abutment piece for engaging said square ends.

12. In a fiat knitting machine, having a series of thread-carriers, aplurality of carrier-rods, abutment members thereon, a carriage at eachend of the machine, a spring loaded damping device on the carriage forengaging certain of the rods, abutment means on the said device forengaging certain of the rods, and means for automatically feeding thesaid carriage longitudinally of the rods to control the movementthereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

STERLING C. MACK.

